Lima to Ica Road Trip: Stops Along the Way

By admin, 13 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Lima to Ica is 187 miles (301 km), about 4 h 14 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Peru — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution

Full advisory: Peru. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.

On the roads, the State Department says:

  • Peru: “Roads are often poorly maintained and may lack crash barriers, guard rails, signs, and streetlights.”
Huaca La MercedLa PampillaNational Museum of PeruCerro PalomaNaploChilcaHuaca MalenaLa CentinelaLimaIca
Route from Lima to Ica with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Total distance187 mi (301 km)
Driving time, no stops4 h 14 min
Main roads, in orderPE-1N → PE-1S
Regions on the routeLima Province, Lima, Ica
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 7.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below8

Driving Lima to Ica: the shape of the trip

PE-1S (180 mi) and PE-1N (6 mi) carry about 99% of the 187 miles. It runs through 3 regions: Lima Province, Lima, Ica. Of the 8 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.

Roads you'll take from Lima to Ica

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miRegion
PE-1N0–66Lima Province
PE-1S6–186180Lima Province, Lima, Ica
local roads186–1871Ica
  • Mile 39 of this route: Lima Province → Lima (region line)
  • Mile 113 of this route: Lima → Ica (region line)

Where to stop on the way to Ica

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): National Museum of Peru (mile 22), Chilca (mile 43), Huaca Malena (mile 68), La Centinela (mile 123)
  • Nature and outdoors: La Pampilla (mile 11), Naplo (mile 41)
  • Museums and history: Huaca La Merced (mile 9), National Museum of Peru (mile 22), Cerro Paloma (mile 38), Chilca (mile 43), Huaca Malena (mile 68), La Centinela (mile 123)

Huaca La Merced

Mile 9 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Huaca La Merced is an archaeological site in Lima's Surquillo district, declared part of Peru's cultural heritage in 2002.

La Pampilla

Mile 11 · Beach · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Part of the Costa Verde beach circuit in Miraflores, Lima, La Pampilla is a beach that locals have used for surfing and swimming since the early 1970s.

National Museum of Peru

Mile 22 · Museum · 0.5 mi from the route

Opened in July 2021 within the Pachacamac archaeological zone in Lurín, the National Museum of Peru is planned to hold pre-Columbian and Inca artifacts dating back to 5,000 BCE.

Cerro Paloma

Mile 38 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

About 65 km south of Lima, Cerro Paloma is an archaeological site where Swiss archaeologist Frédéric Engel uncovered layered Preceramic villages in 1966.

Naplo

Mile 41 · Beach · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Naplo is a beach in Pucusana District, Lima Province, known for its calm water.

Chilca

Mile 43 · Archaeological site · 0.1 mi from the route

Near the town of Chilca in Cañete province, this archaeological site holds remains of an early Archaic village uncovered in 1963 by Swiss archaeologist Frédéric Engel.

Huaca Malena

Mile 68 · Archaeological site · 0.7 mi from the route

In Asia district of Cañete Province, Lima region, Huaca Malena is an archaeological site that has its own on-site museum for visitors.

La Centinela

Mile 123 · Archaeological site · 0.6 mi from the route

Between Chincha Baja and Tambo de Mora, La Centinela was the main late settlement of the Chincha lordship and later became the seat of Inca administration in the valley.

In Ica itself

St. Jerome Cathedral, Ica

Cathedral · in Ica

Also called Ica Cathedral, St. Jerome Cathedral is a Catholic church in the city of Ica, Peru.

Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins"

Anthropology museum · in Ica

Ica's regional archaeological museum, named for Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins, focuses on the different Indigenous cultures that lived in Peru.

More drives to Ica

From Lima to other places in Peru

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to drive from Lima to Ica?

About 4 h 14 min of driving without stops, over 187 miles.

What is the driving distance from Lima to Ica?

About 187 miles (301 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.

What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Lima to Ica drive?

The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.

Which highways go from Lima to Ica?

In order: PE-1N and PE-1S. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.

What are good stops between Lima and Ica?

Closest to the road: National Museum of Peru (museum, mile 22, 0.5 mi from the route); Chilca (archaeological site, mile 43, 0.1 mi from the route); La Centinela (archaeological site, mile 123, 0.6 mi from the route). All stops are described above.

How we put this guide together

Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.

Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.